Guatteria dura R.E.Fr.

5. Guatteria dura R.E.Fr. View in CoL — Fig. 1b View Fig , 6, 7 View Fig ; Map 1

Guatteria dura R.E.Fr. (1939) 499. — Type: Spruce 3354 (holo K; iso BM, BR, K, P), Venezuela, Amazonas, Río Pasimoni , Feb. 1852.

Guatteria kuhlmannii R.E.Fr. (1939) 498, syn. nov. — Type: J.G. Kuhlmann 460 = RB24256 (holo S; iso RB), Brazil, Mato Grosso, Rio Ouro Preto, affluent of Rio Pacanova , 17 Sept. 1923.

Tree or shrub 2.5–30 m tall, 5 –50 cm diam; young twigs densely covered with appressed to half-appressed hairs 1– 2 mm long, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 5 –10 mm long, 3– 4 mm diam; lamina elliptic to obovate or narrowly so, 12– 28 by 5 –12 cm (leaf index 1.6 –4), coriaceous, densely and coarsely verruculose (the verruculae often tending to form strings ), dull above, brown on both sides, glabrous above, rather densely to sparsely covered with appressed to half-appressed hairs 1–2 mm long below, base acute and often slightly attenuate, apex shortly acuminate (acumen 5 –10 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins distinct, 12–18 on either side of primary vein, flat to slightly impressed above, smallest 123 distance between loops and margin 2 – 5 mm. Flowers in 1(–3)-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves or on leafless branchlets; pedicels 5– 20 mm long, 1–2 mm diam, fruiting pedicels up to 30 mm long, 3 mm diam, densely to sparsely cover- ed with appressed hairs, articulated at 0.3 – 0.5 from the base, bracts 5 –7, soon falling, basal bract depressed ovate, c. 2 mm long, the upper one broadly ovate, c. 4 mm long; flower buds depressed ovoid; sepals free, broadly triangular-ovate, 5 – 8 by 5 –7 mm, reflexed, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; petals green, maturing cream, white or yellow in vivo, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 15– 40 by 5 –17 mm, outer side sparsely covered with appressed hairs, the base and young petals densely so; stamens 1.5 – 2 mm long, connective shield papillate to almost glabrous. Monocarps 25– 50, green, maturing purplish black in vivo, brown in sicco, ellipsoid, 18–19 by 7–11 mm, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, apex apiculate (apiculum < 0.5 mm long), wall 0.3– 0.5 mm thick, stipes 5 –10 by 1–1.5 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 15–18 by 6 –8 mm, dark, shiny brown, rugulose and distinctly longitudinally ridged.

Distribution — Colombia ( Amazonas), Venezuela ( Amazonas), Peru ( Loreto), Bolivia ( Beni) and Brazil (Amazonas, Mato Grosso).

Habitat & Ecology — In periodically inundated or sometimes in non-inundated forest or in scrub savanna, often on clayey soil. At elevations of up to 175 m. Flowering: January, February, June, August to November; fruiting: March, April.

Vernacular names — Colombia: Jaacu (Muinane), Jaacuo (Muinane) ( Van Andel et al. 136), Jakup (Muinane) ( Urrego et al. 1417, 1572), Jimogu+ (Huitoto) ( Urrego et al. 1785, 1979), Vara blanca ( Urrego et al. 293A).

Notes — Guatteria dura is easily recognizable by densely and coarsely verruculose leaves, in which the large verrucae often form strings of 2 or 3.

Guatteria dura resembles G. meliodora in many aspects, among others by the thick leaves which completely lack the marginal vein so often found in this section; G. dura differs, however, by the densely verruculose lamina, the warts often forming strings of 2 or 3, vs the sparsely verruculose lamina with warts never forming strings in G. meliodora . The distinction between both species requires further study.

There is quite some variation in petal size and shape in G. dura : in Stergios et al. 9935 the petals are obovate, measuring 20 –30 by 15–17 mm, whereas in Colella et al. 2145 they are very large and narrow, namely 28– 40 by 8 –12 mm.

The only collection from Bolivia ( Guillén & Soliz 3833) is aberrant by the upper side of the leaves being greyish green rather than brown.